


Police Trouble

by DS_Blxck



Series: The Tales of the Daltons' Adopted Sister [3]
Category: Les Dalton | The Daltons (Cartoon), Les Nouvelles Aventures de Lucky Luke | The New Adventures of Lucky Luke (Cartoon), Lucky Luke (Bande Dessinée)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adopted Younger Sister, Big Brother Averell Dalton, Big Brothers, Brother-Sister Relationships, Family Fluff, Light Angst, Little Sisters, OC is a Minor, OC is the Daltons' Sister, Other, Out of Character, Out of Character Averell Dalton, Protective Older Brothers, Saloon, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Sneaking Out, Sneaking Out Goes Wrong, Sort Of, teen rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23337037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DS_Blxck/pseuds/DS_Blxck
Summary: Where Avianna ventures into Cactus Junction alone and without her brothers’ knowledge before getting caught by a police officer. The consequences of her actions quickly catch up with her when she’s being confronted about them after the officer accompanies her back into her home.ONE-SHOT.
Relationships: Averell Dalton & Original Character(s)
Series: The Tales of the Daltons' Adopted Sister [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616005
Kudos: 3





	Police Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> Where Avianna is 13 years old and Averell is 22.

Avianna grinned to herself at the rush of adrenaline she felt as she ran down the path that led towards Cactus Junction. It was the first time she ever snuck out of her house so she was thrilled but afraid at the same time at the new experience. It was close to one in the morning, so the streets were empty when she got to town, save for the few people that were going back and forth from the saloon, a bottle in some of their hands. The teenager could hear the music coming from the bar, accompanied by the very out-of-tune singing of a couple of locals and the chatter of the other patrons. Avianna smiled and headed towards the building, the rebellious teen in her rejoicing at the idea of being part of such a joyous crowd. She was happy that she had “borrowed” one of Averell’s oversized hoodies because now she was able to slip into the saloon unnoticed. She always was a little taller than the average girls of her age, but after gaining a sudden growth spur, she was easily mistaken for an older teenager or even a young adult based on her height. Therefore, she could easily pass for a petite woman, especially with the hood pulled low over her head. As expected, no one payed her any attention as she entered and made her way to the bar before sitting down on one of the few free stools.

“A lemonade, please”, she asked the bartender when he looked at her with a bored expression.

Without saying a word, he nodded and quickly poured her the pale yellowish-white citrus-flavoured drink. She turned, her back now facing the bar and she observed her surroundings. Her eyes swept over the sight of the inebriated cowboys who were playing poker at one table, the pompously but scandalously-dressed women that walked around the tables, supervising the game and flirting with men, the similarly-dressed dancers who were entertaining the crowd with their joyful singing and dancing, the pianist who was playing merrily away and the more “normal” patrons that were simply trying to have a conversation over the loud ambient noise. It was very nice to be simply sitting there and enjoying the music without being disturbed. Whenever she came to Cactus Junction, Avianna was always accompanied by at least one of brothers as she was still too young to walk around the busy and dangerous streets on her own. Additionally, because her brothers were the Daltons and were very well known, they always recognized them and ran away screaming; they always had the citizens’ full and undivided attention. The girl would never admit that, but it made her feel uncomfortable. This was the main reason she decided to sneak away from home for a short period of time, to see how it felt like being just another regular human being who happened to live in Cactus Junction. And she liked it. 

Avianna finished sipping her drink and put her glass back on the counter. She was about to stand up to slowly start to make her way back home when something gleaming caught her attention. She knelt down to have a better look at it, and, under closer inspection she discovered it was a fancy pocket watch made from gold and encrusted with what appeared to be diamonds. The girl looked at it in awe before gingerly picking it up. She stood up and continued to observe it from its different angles. She had no idea who it belonged to as she discovered it laying carelessly on the floor. Maybe the owner didn’t even know it was there! So there was no harm in looking at it, right? That’s what she believed. 

She was about to pocket the watch to bring it to the sheriff’s office in case the item’s owner found out he or she lost it and wanted to retrieve it when someone brutally grabbed her forearm and turned her around. Avianna let out a gasp and looked up at the individual, her hood falling off from the force of the yank, revealing her wide eyes and her youthful face. She was face to face with a much larger and very angry-looking man. Behind him was another man with a more neutral expression on his face but his eyes were gleaming with ire. 

“Dave, I found my watch”, the man holding her growled while harshly snatching the cursed accessory from Avianna’s trembling hand. “It appears this sorry excuse for a thief had it this entire time!”

The young teenager could feel tears burning at the back of her throat as the vice-like grip around her arm tightened. 

“Th-tha-th-that’s not t-t-true!” she stammered, her fear making her voice sound more high-pitched and soft than it naturally is. “I-I-I found it–”

“Silence!” yelled the man. “I will not hear your pitiful excuse!”

Avianna looked at his companion, Dave, and silently begged her for help. However, Dave’s expression turned skeptical. Tears started flowing down her cheeks and she bit her lower lip to prevent from bursting out sobbing. The piercing eyes softened fractionally.

“Mike”, Dave said. “She could be telling the truth…”

“You be quiet!” Mike shouted. “I know these little pests’ tricks! They start crying to make us believe they’re innocent, but I won’t fall for them!”

He abruptly began marching towards the exit and Avianna let out a pained yelp as she found herself being dragged behind him. Soon, they got to the sheriff’s office and he unceremoniously dumped her in front of his desk. The graying middle-aged man who was the sheriff looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his eyes to chase the remnants of his sleep away. 

“I was looking for my watch for the entire night when I finally spotted this low-life about to pocket it away!” Mike explained while glaring down at Avianna with a look of open contempt. 

“That’s not true!” the girl exclaimed. “I only wanted to put it in my pocket because I wanted to bring it to you in case the person who lost it was looking for it! I found it on the floor! I swear I’m innocent!”

“LIES!” Mike roared. “You filthy little–”

“Everyone be quiet!” the sheriff exclaimed. “Thank you, sir”, he added, addressing the man, “but I’ll handle the situation from here. Please go and enjoy the rest of the night.”

The man turned around and exited the building while muttering to himself, not without shooting the young Dalton a withering look. Once gone, the sheriff sighed and looked at Avianna with a critical expression. 

“What is your name, young lady?” he asked sternly.

Avianna hickuped and dried her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

“A-A-Avianna Dalton”, she answered. 

The officer’s face paled and his eyes widened fractionally at her revealed identity before he schooled his features behind a neutral mask. 

“Tell me, Miss Dalton”, he continued. “What exactly happened back there?”

And Avianna launched into a detailed explanation of how she got here and her intentions for wanting to put the watch away. However, she left out the reason she ventured into town as it was something she held personal. The man nodded as he attentively listened to her story before rubbing his tired eyes with a sigh. 

“I believe you”, he said.

Avianna stared at him in disbelief and he allowed himself a small smile before he adopted a stern expression.

“But don’t pull such a stunt again, do you understand me?”

He got a nod as a response and he seemed satisfied by it.

“Now come”, he said. “I’ll accompany you to your house.”

Avianna tensed and started gesturing, suddenly panicking.

“Erm, it won’t be necessary!” she exclaimed. “I can go back on my own! I promise I won’t cause any trouble to anyone!”

The sheriff couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I never doubted you”, he smiled. “But I would like to talk to your brothers. It’s best if they knew what happened to prevent such unfortunate events from occurring again.”

Avianna tensed more, but finally nodded. The guys did not know she sneaked out so she knew they were going to get very angry once they would learn what mess she got herself into. The two of them walked out from the police station and started to make their way towards the hill on which the infamous Dalton family lived. The teenager started trembling from anxiety; she dreaded facing the rest of her family. It was the first time she had defied the rules in such a serious manner so she had no idea what would be in store for her.

****

Too soon enough in her opinion, they reached her front door. Without waiting for Avianna to catch her breath, the sheriff knocked on it. They had to wait for around two minutes, during which the man knocked again, before the door opened and the two of them found themselves facing a bleary-eyed Averell. 

“Yes..?” he yawned before his eyes fell onto Avianna.

His mouth snapped shut and he instantly became much more alert. His expression turned worried when he spotted the police officer beside his little sister.

“Avianna?” he inquired. “What happened? Is everything alright?”

The girl wanted to run forward to bury her face into her brother’s chest to hide her ashamed and tear-filled expression, but a heavy hand on her shoulder prevented her from doing so.

“Apparently your little sister snuck out from home tonight”, the sheriff started.

Although he didn’t show any outward signs of anger, Avianna could literally see the emotion emanating from her brother based on his change of posture. Where he stood slightly hunched from sleepiness before, Averell was now standing with a completely straight back with tense muscles. His sister looked down, unable to meet his eyes that she felt boring right through her skull. As the sheriff told him what had occurred back in town, Avianna could feel the tension rising between them. The officer had barely concluded his story when Averell grabbed the girl by the arm and firmly, but gently, brought her into the house and slightly behind him. She let out a hiss of pain as he had unknowingly taken hold of the same arm at the same place where Mike had grabbed her earlier. Sharp eyes glanced down at her and it was the sight of Avianna gently massaging her arm that told the older Dalton that enough was enough. He politely thanked the officer for bringing his sister back safe and sound, promising that he’ll keep a better eye on her from now on. It was only once the door closed and the two siblings were alone in the faintly lit entryway that Averell let his façade drop. He narrowed his eyes as he glared down at the teenager. The latter shakily raised her head to look at him and was barely able to supress a wince; he looked angrier than she’d ever seen him before with his thunderous expression and his arms crossed over his broad chest. She felt completely dwarfed by his much greater height as she found herself to be in the receiving end of his ire. 

“Hi Avey…” she greeted feebly. 

“Your room”, Averell snapped, untangling his arms to point an index finger towards the direction of their respective bedrooms. “ _Now_.”

Avianna gulped and nodded quickly before running as silently as she could to her room. She flopped down onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow, seeking for much-needed comfort. Her heart ached like never before and the knot that constricted her throat made her breathing difficult. She felt terribly guilty for not only going against the rules they had imposed together as a family, but for shaking her brother’s trust in her by doing so. She had worried and angered him and she hated herself for it. Approaching footsteps broke into her musings and she lifted her head enough to see Averell entering her room with a first-aid kit. He closed the door before sitting down next to her. Avianna sat up and fearfully faced him. However, the young man didn’t look at her; he was busy opening the medical kit.

“Show me your arm”, he ordered in a much softer voice than the one he addressed her with before.

Avianna complied and Averell slowly rolled up her sleeve, exposing her forearm where a dark bruise was already blossoming. His eyes darkened considerably at the ugly sight.

“Who did this?” he demanded, his voice low and strained, anger towards his sister momentarily forgotten.

Avianna gulped again.

“Erm… just the guy who caught me trying to pocket the watch and who dragged me to the sheriff’s office”, she mumbled.

Averell finally looked up at her, brown eyes blazing with barely-restrained fury.

“Do you have a name?” he continued. 

The teen bit her lower lip.

“Why is that important?” she asked back.

It was apparently the wrong thing to say as his grip tightened around his arm and his glare intensified.

“Because he _hurt you_!” he snarled. “And that is unforgivable!”

Avianna looked down again.

“Mike”, she answered. “And the other guy was Dave. But please don’t hurt them!” she added quickly as she saw him mentally filing the information away. “Don’t stoop down to their levels!”

“I wasn’t planning to”, came the curt reply. 

The older Dalton took a small tub of arnica cream from the medical kit. He opened it, squeezed some of the cream onto his fingertips and carefully applied it onto the bruises. Once he finished dabbing it, Averell put the cream back before looking at Avianna from the corner of his eyes. She rightfully knew that the reprimanding was about to start. 

“May I know what on Earth possessed you to do such a thing?” he growled, crossing his arms once again on his chest. “I was worried sick when I saw you back there with that sheriff!”

The girl let out a sniff and rubbed at her eyes again with the hand that was devoid of cream. 

“I, I know it doesn’t excuse my behaviour, but I was curious”, she justified. “Every time we go out, people are afraid of us. Even if it’s just you, they recognize you and they run away screaming and panicking. It makes me feel a little uncomfortable so I just wanted to know what it would feel like to be just another regular girl…”

“By _sneaking out_ in the _middle of the night_!?”

Avianna rolled her eyes.

“Yeah…” she sighed. “It was the only good time…”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady!” Averell snapped, raising his voice. “And it wasn’t a good time at all!!”

Then, he added more quietly.

“Why didn’t you tell me? We could have come to a solution.”

His sister sighed again and look at her feet, ashamed.

“Because I thought it would be ridiculous”, she said. “I didn’t want you to think I was ashamed of being a Dalton because I’m not! I’m so happy to be a part of your family and I would not trade it for anything! The impulse just came to me suddenly and I couldn’t resist it..! I didn’t mean to cause any problems, I simply wanted to go for a walk and maybe explore the city a little bit… I’m so sorry, Averell! I’m so sorry!”

Averell watched as she broke down into sobs, hugging her knees and shielding her face from view. He sighed, some of his anger disappearing, and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. Immediately, Avianna let go of her knees and threw herself at his neck, embracing his shoulders with all her might. At that, the young man’s heart melted and he began rubbing soothing circles on her back. He waited until her cries placated into occasional hiccups before pulling her back. 

“Avianna, listen to me”, he ordered, his tone tired. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again. Yes, your intentions with the watch were very good and I’m very proud of you for caring about others’ feelings like that. However not everyone is as kind-hearted as you and you saw it. Most of the people out there only care about themselves and they won’t hesitate to bring those whom they deem inferior so that they could be seen as strong and brave; they have no morals nor ethics. That is why the guys and I are not keen on you going to Cactus Junction alone: because those people will to hurt you.”

_‘And they did’_ , he thought to himself as he clenched his jaw. _‘Damn them, they did! And I will never forgive them for it.’_

“Do you understand?” he added. 

The girl nodded her affirmative.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t let you when you’re older. You’ll have much more freedom, of course. It’s just that the last thing I want is you to experience any form harm. You’re the most precious thing we have and we don’t want anything to happen to you, so that’s why we have to keep an eye on each other and especially on you so that it doesn’t happen. Do you ever think how we would feel, how _I_ would feel if you got hurt?”

Avianna’s tears started anew. 

“I’m sorry”, she cried. “I’ll keep that in mind, I swear I’ll be more attentive next time!”

“I know, I never thought you wouldn’t”, Averell smiled, pulling her to his side once more. “You have all my faith.” 

“I don’t deserve it…”

“Hey, don’t say that! Never doubt yourself. We all love you very much and nothing will ever change that!”

Avianna buried her head into her brother’s shoulder as a blush was creeping up her cheeks. 

“Thanks… I love you too”, she mumbled. 

A minute passed in silence before she could feel herself getting slowly sleepy.

“So”, she started, raising her head to look into Averell’s kind eyes. “What will my punishment be?”

Averell frowned and pondered over her words for a few seconds.

“You will be grounded for a week”, he informed her. “I see you are truly remorseful so there’s no need to give you a harsher punishment.”

“Thank you…”

“No worries, little one. I’m just happy you’re okay. Now sleep, you need to rest, especially after this ordeal.”

Avianna smiled sheepishly and settled under her covers.

“Good night, Avey”, she said.

Her brother smiled back.

“Good night, my little flea.”

****

The next evening found Avianna sitting in her bed, reading the latest novel from her favourite horror/thriller author, when Averell entered her room with a satisfied smile that bordered on maniacal. The teen narrowed her eyes as she regarded him; that expression that was totally unlike him meant nothing good.

“Averell, what have you done?” she asked in lieu of a greeting. “Or you know what, I won’t even ask.”

“What makes you think I’ve done anything?” her brother asked with a false-hurt tone, placing a hand over his heart in emphasis.

“Your face. I know that smile all too well.”

Averell’s grin widened and he planted his hands on his hips.

“Let’s just say that this Mike fellow and his side-kick will not come back to Cactus Junction anytime soon, nor will he target innocent-looking children”, he explained.

Avianna facepalmed, but chuckled nonetheless. She knew first-hand how scary he could become whenever he wanted to (which was rare, she had to admit that). He didn’t need to engage in violence, his fierce appearance was enough to intimidate anyone who had the misfortune of angering him. And nothing made him see red more than someone inflicting harm upon his little sister. When she raised her head to meet her brother’s gaze, she was sporting a similar smile to his. She felt sorry for the poor dude on one hand, but on the other, a significant part of herself was elated that the big meanie finally got what he deserved. 

“You’re amazing” she laughed as she closed her book.

Averell gleamed from the praise.

“I know”, he teased before winking at her.

Avianna rolled her eyes amusedly at his antics. As she walked over to her beloved sibling and hugged him tightly, she tried to imagine the two men’s face as they were confronted by an irate Averell and she couldn’t help but snort at the mental images she pulled up. 

“What?” Averell asked as he heard her laugh.

“Oh nothing, I just tried to imagine how they reacted when you scared them”, Avianna replied.

Averell grinned.

“Absolutely ridiculous.”

The two burst out laughing and shared a high five. Even though they were very unlikely to see Mike and Dave again, they knew they had learned one very important thing: never mess with a Dalton.

*~*


End file.
